My Stupid Phone
by writingwithheart
Summary: Laura Marano had never dreamed of going to an R5 concert and meeting her huge celebrity crush, Ross Lynch. She had also never imagined getting herself thrown into such a huge worldwide problem involving him. Well, she wouldn't have, if it wasn't for her stupid phone. RAURA.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

**Hi guys! I'm back with a new story, this time, RAURA.**

**For all of you who are waiting for my **She Doesn't Fall **sequel, I promise you, it's coming. But, I've decided that I wanted to try a Ross Lynch/Laura Marano story first. Who knows, maybe no one will like this story and I'll go back to my other projects, but for now, please give this story a chance!**

**Disclaimer: The events in this story are completely fiction.**

**Enjoy!**

"Okay, Laura, it's your turn!" I groan and put my phone down. Truth or Dare, my _favourite _game. Every time my friends hang out at my house, we play Truth or Dare. I don't understand the value of it, but, its majority vote and I always lose.

"Fine, Dare," I say before I turn back to my Instagram account. It usually takes a while for my friends to come up with something good. There are little things in this world that I'm embarrassed to do. As I scroll through my feed, I see that Ross Lynch had posted a new picture of him with his band, R5, doing an awesome new stage move where he has to do a hand stand. And at the exact moment the picture was taken, his shirt had fallen down to where you could see his toned body. I sigh and fan myself in an attempt to calm my feels.

Suddenly, my phone is taken from my hands and I whip my head up to see my friends leaning in to look at it. They had all found the source of my sigh. Ross Lynch. Now, I had told my friends about my R5 obsession the first weeks we all met in freshman year, and now, 2 years later, they know that my obsession has only grew… and zeroed in on mainly one band member. But I couldn't help it. Ross, with his angelic voice, amazing body and sweet personality, he had made his way into my heart when I heard his voice in R5's first song, even though he hadn't hit puberty yet.

As I looked at my friends' faces, I could see they were going to use this fact against me. And I was correct. A minute later, all my friends took off towards the kitchen with my phone, with Raini yelling, "Don't follow us, Laura!"

So, being obedient, and trusting my friends more than I should have, I stayed put and waited for them. Ten minutes of rustling paper, and snickers later, they emerged, holding my phone, and 2 pieces of folded paper. I raised my eyebrows and they all burst into laughter. Calum calmed down first and handed me my phone back, assuring that they didn't do anything with it. So, it was the pieces of paper I had to be worried about.

Slowly, all my friends settled back into a circle and Raini spoke. "Okay, your dare is you have to take this piece of paper," as she spoke, she handed me one of the slips of paper, "and you must NEVER read it." I freeze and slowly place the paper, that I was about to read, on the ground. "Then, if you ever go to an R5 concert, you have to give it to Ross during the Meet and Greet." My eyes widen and the temptation to open the paper makes my skin crawl, and it's as if Raini can see that. "Yes, tempting isn't it?" She eyes the paper and smirks. "But, if you end up reading what's on it, we have a completely different note that we'll give to Ross ourselves, like a Plan B, got it?" I nod quickly. Take the note, and give it to Ross. Simple enough, but the jokes on them because I doubt I'll ever have enough money to buy tickets and Meet and Greet passes. I take the note and stuff it in my pocket, feeling sure I would never see it again.

"Got it."

**Wow, that was unbelievably short, I know. It was just to get things started. Now, I'm on Winter Break this week, so I'll hopefully get the next chapter up before the New Year.**

**Please, please, PLEASE consider reviewing so I know if I should continue with this story or not.**

**Happy Holidays!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**Hey guys! I know that I just posted 3 days ago, but there are many reasons I want to get this next chapter up! First, the reviews/follows/favs were amazing, and I am happy that you guys enjoy this story so far. Second, I hoped to get Ch. 2 up before the New Year's, so better safe than sorry, as I might forget later on. Thirdly, somewhat like the last reason, I feel like I am going to be busy since this is the last week before I have to go back to school *insert dramatic sigh* so I'm just going to update today!**

**Also, I want to wish an early Happy Birthday to Ross Lynch! He's turning 19 tomorrow, and I just can't believe how grown up he is. It feels like just yesterday when we were all tearing up at the fact that he was becoming a legal adult and everything. Have a great birthday, Shor!**

**Okay, so I bet only a couple of you took the time to read that…sorry. So, I'm just going to get on with it. **

**Enjoy!**

2 years later…

I sigh and pull the wrinkled piece of paper from my cabinet drawer. Tonight, I was going to see R5, my all- time favourite band! The only problem? The dare. Two years ago, my friends dared me to give a secret note to Ross Lynch if I ever went to R5's concert. In the beginning, I laughed at the dare, positive that I would never go due to the expensiveness of tickets. But, it seemed like my friends were far too eager to see this dare in action, so, on my eighteenth birthday, they surprised me with tickets. I should've been happy at that moment, but I only started fangirling when my friends left. At that _exact moment_, I was terrified, wondering like crazy what was in the note. But, I held true to my promise and didn't look at it. I wish I did though. Now, getting ready for the concert, I was panicking. What if it was utterly humiliating and I could never look at anything Ross related again. I don't think I could bear it. I sigh and stuff the note in my purse. Turning to my mirror, I look at myself one last time: perfectly curled brown hair, flawless dark make up, and a tight, short, vivid red dress that hugged and accented my curves. I was ready, physically, at least. Mentally, I felt like the note weighed as much as a brick in my purse. I couldn't wait to get rid of it… but, could I even, when the time came?

I push away the thought quickly, and go join my friends to head to the R5 concert!

* * *

We get our tickets scanned and only then, do I feel excitement flood my system. I start bouncing on the balls of my feet, my eyes taking everything in, from the huge stage to the multi coloured flashing lights. I look down at my ticket and see that we were seated in the very first row! Not VIP but as close as we can get. My eyes widen in wonder. I turn to Raini, the question already showing on my face.

"How did you guys manage the first row?" I ask in disbelief. Raini laughs and averts her eyes. "Welllll, we may or may not have pre- ordered them months earlier, as soon as we could, actually, after you agreed to the dare." She smiles sheepishly while I pale. This dare must be super important if all my friends are going to this extent to make me happy. I purse my lips, thinking for the billionth time what could be written on the paper, but eventually, I give up and sigh. "Okay, whatever. Let's go find our seats."

* * *

We settle down after taking a look around, snapping pictures of the arena, and buying merchandise. The concert hadn't even started yet and I was having the best time! Even the thought of the note was buried so deep in my mind I forgot about it. Finally, the five of us, Raini, Calum, Parker, Carrie, and I have calmed down enough to focus on our surroundings. The lights have dimmed slightly, and the stage workers were filing off the stage. It was almost time! I moved to the edge of my seat, eagerly waiting, and my phone in hand to capture every moment.

Suddenly, the lights dim until only the stage spotlights are visible. I squeal along with hundreds of other girls. "Welcome!" an invisible voice says, Ryland. Then, the Lynch's youngest sibling comes out, pumping the crowd, and I'm already up on my feet, dancing. He continues to DJ and boosts the fans and finally, I hear what I've been waiting for: "Now, put your hands together! Here is R5! WOO!" I scream and clap, my heart racing. One by one, the band members come out, shouting and jumping. Riker, Rocky, Rydel, Ratliff, and lastly, Ross. He comes out, an enthusiastic mess of blond hair and worn Converse. I smile widely, and lean forward, trying to reach him. Somewhere, I'm aware of my friends snickering, but my attention is solely focused on the band.

I dance and sing my heart out with R5 as they play song after song. Sometime around an hour later, my feet are killing me, but I refuse to sit down. And that was a mistake. As I'm jumping and singing, the band takes a break and while Riker is talking to us fans, Ross lifts his shirt to wipe his sweat, and his drool- worthy six pack is visible. I scream in harmony with most of the fans in the arena, but one overexcited girl behind me lurches her entire body forward in a failed attempt to touch him, causing her to hit me, and that is why I should've been sitting. If I was, when the girl shoved into me, I wouldn't have stumbled almost over the gated off fence, and most importantly, I wouldn't have lost my phone. As I fell, my slick with sweat hand automatically came in front to hold on to something. Reaching to sturdy myself, I somehow lost my grip and my phone flew out of my hand. I straightened up quickly and watched helplessly as it sailed almost clichély in the air— slow with lots of spinning— and finally, landed with a silent 'thud' on the stage… right next to Ross' feet. I inwardly scream; this was not good. Luckily, no one had notice my phone suddenly appear on stage… that is until Ross bends down and picks it up. He rotated it with two fingers and then firmly grabbed hold of it. Only in my dreams had I pictured Ross holding my phone, and that was only to take a picture with me. Now, though, he was examining it, and looking into the crowd as if he could find the owner out of a thousand screaming fans, who, have caught on and were now jumping up and down with their arms outstretched so he could give them my phone a.k.a a random object but has Ross' fingerprints on it. I was part of that group too. I was leaning dangerously forward, my arms waving, trying to get his attention. Then, a hand clamps onto my shoulder, pulling me back. I turn to see Raini looking at me curiously.

"Laura, I know you're the biggest Ross fan and all, but it's just a phone." My eyes are darting from my best friend to Ross. I couldn't give up. My phone was like my technological diary: all my thoughts were written on note pads, my pictures of everything, _especially_ my hundreds and hundreds of pictures of R5 and separate ones of Ross, and most importantly, my videos of my voice. Yes, ever since I was young, I had a strong passion for music. I write my own songs, do covers, and sing everything in the shower. But, only my friends and family know that about me. Even though they say I have a great voice, I'd just never had a deep urge to share my music with anyone else, _especially_ Ross Lynch. While I'm struggling, my logical side says, "You're not the only one. I bet there's so many other girls like you," but my fearful side shoots out and says, "Ya, but Ross doesn't have _their_ phones, now does he?" and my logical side is quiet. I look at Ross again. He and the rest of R5 have taken in the crowd and are moving together to discuss the situation. _No! Don't let the concert end! This is my entire fault!_ I moan, putting my head in my hands. Raini is trying to soothe me, not knowing what the problem is.

"That's my phone Raini," I say, after I eventually look at her. All of my friend's eyes meet mine and they all look shocked. I sigh and explain, "I don't know what happened. It slipped out of my hand and landed on stage. I don't know what to do!" Altogether, my friends look at the phone that all the members of R5 are studying, and they recognize my red and white gems with silver music notes phone cover. While they turn back and think of a plan, my eyes are trained on Ross. He looks startled, as if he's never seen the crowd like this before. And with a shock, I realize that maybe they all haven't. I mean, bras and phone numbers will occasionally land on the stage, but an expensive IPhone 5? Even if there was a phone number taped to it, anyone in their right mind would realize that the phone needs to be returned to the owner. And since there's no phone number or _anything_ at all, that should _definitely_ mean the owner wants their phone back. Ross looks to Riker, snapping me out of my thoughts. They talk about something quick with lots of gesturing towards my phone and then the rest of the band nods in agreement.

As if a flip was switched, they suddenly get back into position with Riker yelling, "Okay, let's get LOUDER! This next song is an older one…." I flop back into my seat, relieved that I didn't wreck this night, but, as I stare at Ross as he slips my phone into his pocket, I'm not quite so sure.

**Review and let me know what you think! **

**Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! I'm back with Chapter 3! I hope I haven't kept you all waiting too long… with school starting again and less than 2 weeks until finals… ew. I'm not even going to talk about it anymore. It's already stressful enough thinking about it. **

**So, a note for this chapter: I have personally only gone to an R5 concert where the M&amp;G was before the show, and I don't know if it's like that every time, but for the sake of the story, the M&amp;G will be after the show and more one-on-one style.**

**Also, thank you for all your amazing reviews and encouraging words! I don't know if I'll be able to get another chapter up very soon but we'll see after your reviews (wink, wink).**

**Enjoy!**

I pace anxiously as I wait in line for the Meet and Greet. The concert had ended an hour ago, and I was still upset at myself for being so on edge. I promised myself that when this was all over and the dare was done, I was going to come back and lose myself in the show entirely. No stress or worrying, just enjoying the moment. But, being as this was the present, I was darted glances left and right and my pulse was leaping.

A teenage girl had just passed and she looked kind of annoyed. She was pouting, and her eyes were disappointed. "Stupid test," She muttered. My ears perked up, as did my friends' and we unsubtly leaned closer to her. "Password? Why is it so hard? I just want some of his DNA for my collection!" At that point, we all moved back and exchanged glances. I guess I wasn't the most obsessed after all. That wasn't the point though. There was something bigger.

"So, Ross is asking questions about the phone!" Raini concludes, and we all nod. "Well, no problem then. Laura answers them flat on, gets her phone back, and we end it all off with the dare!" I was finally starting to ease up, listening to Raini's logical run down, but when the word "dare" passing through her lips, I find myself shocked. After this chaotic night, I didn't think things could get worse. Turns out, I was unbelievably wrong, but, even if I wanted to do something about the dare, like, forget about it forever, I knew that my friends would never allow it. So, I just busy myself by thinking: of what to say to Ross, what not to say under pressure like, "I like your hair," I go over every detail of my phone, and what to do while the dare is in action.

Finally, after an excruciatingly long wait in line, listening to girls begging to Ross, and even storm dramatically away, my friends and I are at the front. The detailed plan was for 3 of us to go up, Raini to Riker, who was sitting beside Ross, Parker to Rydel, who was seated on the opposite side of Ross, and I would go talk with the blonde in the center (obviously). While we did that, Calum and Carrie would stay back in line to ensure no one would stand behind me and listen in. The approximate time we figured was about 5 minutes to prove the phone was mine, a couple minutes to take pictures, and then who- knows- how- long for the dare. After a quick glance to all of my friends, I commence the plan.

I put on my brightest smile— though a little nervous—and walk up to Ross, my pulse speeding out of control. _What would happen to the plan if I faint right now?_ I absent- mindedly think. That would be so bad, but at least the dare would be incomplete. Before I know it, I snap out of my thoughts and find myself right in front of Ross. I swallow back a gasp. He is so gorgeous— even more so up close. Ross' hair was messy and slick with sweat, the incandescent lights making the strands turn to a halo of gold atop his head; his eyes were sparkling with adrenaline, and even with this missing phone owner situation, his perfect lips were pulled in a smirk, which, turned into a grin as his eyes trailed up my body and landed on my face. I blushed, aware of how this was the best moment of my life: I was meeting Ross Lynch!

"Hi Riker!" I suddenly hear beside me. Raini's voice quickly reminds me of my current dilemma, and I look at the phone Ross is holding in his hand. He catches where my gaze is at and he chuckles.

"Yes, the phone. I've been trying to return in to the rightful owner, but with no luck. Now, maybe it's yours?" My eyes widen and I rapidly nod, which causes Ross to laugh again, the sound melodic to my ears.

"But, I have to ask you some questions. Three, to prove that this phone actually is yours?" I nod once, confident in the knowledge of my own phone. "Go ahead," I say, my voice as strong as I feel. "I can prove that that is my phone." Ross raises an eyebrow, hopefully impressed, and he starts his list of questions. "So, what's the wallpaper?" I don't even blink at this. "A picture of your band." Ross nods, and I can't help but smile. "But, lots of our fans have guessed that. It's kind of predictable. The second question is: what song is on pause right now?" Wow, that was a hard one… if it was for someone else. I knew my playlist like the back of my hand, especially since the majority were R5, and the rest were my own recorded songs. "Your band's 2013 cover of 'Girls' by The 1975." Ross looks me in the eyes, making my insides melt. "Yeah, you're right! I can almost say this phone _is _yours, but here's the last question: what's the password?" I mentally roll my eyes, eager to get my phone back, but on the outside, I was biting my lip. My password was a little embarrassing, especially since I was telling Ross. I take a deep breath. "Rosslychslis," I quickly say, my cheeks already burning. The blonde quirks an eyebrow. "What was that?" he says, genuinely confused. I groan. "Ross Lynch's lips."

Ross smirks and begins to type it in. After a few seconds, he sighs and looks up at me. "Sorry, this password is wrong," he says, sounding suddenly tired. At the back of my mind, I wondered how many people did he already deliver this line to, but the very first thing that settled in my mind was shock… and anger.

"What?! It can't be! This is my phone!" I exclaim, pointing at the said object. Ross doesn't even flinch, as if used to sudden outburst from crazy fans.

"Here! Let me type it in myself," I urge, my hands outstretched. Ross leans back, pulling my phone to his chest.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you take this," he raises his hand, "or else you could steal it." I step back and gasp. I wouldn't steal anything! I was offended that Ross would come to that conclusion on a member of the R5 family.

His eyes widen as he thinks the same thing and he backtracks. "I'm sorry, you don't look like someone to steal anything, but some people here are not like that." He mouths "Rossians" and I try to stifle my giggles. "What I mean to say is: if I let you hold the phone, I'll have to let everyone and someone might _actually_ take it." I nod slowly, the logic confusing me. How was I supposed to prove that the phone was mine when he couldn't ask me any other questions with the information provided on the Lock Screen and I couldn't touch it? Suddenly, behind me, I hear cheers of "Ross! Ross! Ross! Ross!" Disoriented, I turn around and see the rest of the fans in the line behind me looking impatient. Their eyes were skipping from star struck at Ross to glaring at me.

"Ah," Ross clears his throat, and I turn back around to face him. He stares at me for a second and sighs. "I'm afraid I've lost track of time. I have to meet with everyone else." My eyes widen and I frantically take in my surroundings. Raini and Parker were already off to the side with Calum and Carrie, shooting me worried glances. I mentally groan and face palm. This was not how the plan was supposed to work!

"Hey, I'm sorry, really," Ross says, touching my arm gently and pulling it away from my face. Oops. I guess I _actually_ groaned and face palmed. "I wish I could give you this phone—you were the only one who answered 2 out of the 3 questions, but how will I know if someone in line will answer all of them correctly…," _Yeah, right. _"I have to keep it, and… meet with everyone else now…?" Ross hints at me, asking me nicely to walk away, but I'm frozen, staring blankly at nothing. What went wrong? It was phone, pictures, and dare; simple and easy. Yet, I managed to mess it up and now, nothing was completed. After some time—seconds or minutes, whatever, I feel a tap on my shoulder and look to see Raini supporting me comfortably. She mouths "We'll figure this out," and I sigh. I face away from Ross, embarrassed to have zoned out like that, and that defeat crushes me. I silently shed tears as my friends gather and we walk over to the exit.

"Hey wait!" a voice shouts. I cry more fiercely, thinking about how I blew my first impression with Ross Lynch. "I never even got your name!" A part of me wonders why he would want to know it since we would probably never be seeing each other again, but the young, curious side of me turns my head to look in his direction. Immediately, Ross sees my tears that I forgot to wipe off and the look he sends me is apologetic, and agonized, as if he can't bare the sight.

"My—," I start before my friends pull me out the door; not knowing what I was about to do, and his perfect, anguished face disappears.

_My name is Laura Marano._

**If only all guys were so sensitive and caring… *sigh* Anyways, what did y'all think? I bet that I would start crying too if my crush told me to "take a hike"… in the sweetest way, of course. Still, it'll probably sting. **

**Review/ follow/ fav, please?**

**Until next time, bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

**So…um, hi guys. I know that it's been almost a month since I've last updated, and honestly, I have no excuse. I've already finished this chapter for the longest time, and am actually working on Chapter 6 right now. But, I guess I can blame it on Finals and school work, right? Well, no matter, I'm sorry for the long wait. Next time, if you truly want the next chapter as soon as possible, just bug me about it, and I'll get it up quicker. **

**Okay, enough with that. **

**Enjoy!**

"What is it with this phone!?" The blonde reporter says, waving her arms dramatically; a swirl of cue cards, flying hair, and everything. The camera pans to catch all the audience members in a frenzy of waving and shouting, before it zooms back to her face. "Our sources tell us that all of this happened during the R5 concert in Miami two days ago. A red and white IPhone seemed to have magically appeared on stage, and ever since then, Ross, Rocky, Riker, Rydel, and Ratliff have been conducting searches through Miami to find the owner! They will continue to look, as this mystery is completely baffling, but are still continuing their tour to New York tomorrow. Look out 'R5 Family New York,' could one of _you_ be the one R5 is looking for? I'm Anna Jackson (**PJO anyone?**) and stay tuned for—," a frustrated groan escapes my lips and I click off the TV, and then promptly hurl the remote across the room.

_Of course no one in New York will be the one R5 is looking for! She's going to be sprawled pathetically on the couch while you guys search in another state!_

"It's okay, Laura," Raini soothes, rubbing circles on my back. Raini had decided to sleep over the last couple of nights, concerned with my well- being, and I guess I couldn't blame her. Ever since the concert, I stayed in bed, not moving or getting up—even to brush my teeth. My hair was a rat's nest and I hadn't changed out of the red dress, even with it rucking up my sides. Only when Raini ripped my blanket off and dragged me to the bathroom an hour ago was when I finally freshened up in two days. After, I looked better, but inside, I felt defeated. I could barely think about the mess without crying, and every few minutes, I would catch myself reaching for my phone to go on Instagram or to check the time, only to reel back, like I was slapped. Imagine having your most valued possession taken away from you, like it was the air keeping you alive… that was how attached to it I was. And now it's gone forever, like a part of me had physically ripped itself out. All my special pictures, music, deep and personal diary notes, calendar events… EVERYTHING! Luckily, I still had my bearings: it was Sunday, probably afternoon, and I had been on the couch for motionless until the news came on. Now, I groaned and buried my head into a pillow, thoughts whirling through my mind: What would my parents say? I haven't talked to them since Friday, and no way was I telling them about my phone. I mean, I had just become a legal adult, and then lose my phone at a concert? I don't see that turning out well. And what about my phone in general? What if someone _actually _gets all the right answers, and gets my phone. I mean, there are 7 billion people in the world, and I guarantee I'm not the only one who thinks about Ross' lips… Anyway, not only will my phone be in someone else's possession, but I could seriously be blackmailed… the possibilities were endless! The only thing that kept me somewhat grounded was the thought of R5 having my phone. _They have my phone! They're touching my phone! But I'll never get it back…_

"Laura, please, we'll figure this out," Raini comforts, pulling me up. For a moment, I forgot that she was there; I was wrapped up in my own stupid problems. Her eyes were worried, her lips set in a tight line. She didn't want to see me hurt, but she didn't know how to help because everything was internal. My phone was gone, leaving me feeling hollow, and whenever I think of Ross, a deep sense of regret washes over me. Lots of what ifs or should haves. None of my friends saw his face that night. None of them understand how much he cares about his fans, and to see one bawling her eyes out… I am so guilty.

"Thanks Raini," I sigh, forcing a tired smile onto my lips. Maybe if I pretended that I was fine, the pain would go away. Raini's eyes narrow, as if she doesn't believe me, but she also smiles.

"That's better. Now, how about we get some food, 'cuz granola bars and water isn't cutting it." Raini playfully shoves me off the couch and towards the stairs, telling me to get dressed.

"We're gonna go to the mall, okay?" she commands, more than asks, and watches as I walk up the stairs. I make it to my room and smile my first real smile since coming back home on Friday. Losing my phone was devastating, but I think that losing one of my friends would probably kill me. I needed them more than I ever thought I would. With that thought to anchor me, I open my closet and decide on a blue dress.

Raini's POV

I watch as Laura disappears up the stairs and then I quickly pull my phone out and dial a number. Laura needs help and I wasn't going to let her suffer any longer. I mean, her smiles are completely forced, and I don't believe them one bit. She is my best friend, and I can read her like a book, especially when she seems so vulnerable these days. She can't stop crying for more than a few hours, and honestly, getting her to get out of bed this morning was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But, sitting on her bedroom floor for two days, I have had _plenty _of time to think… and plan. I had slowly come up with something, but it is insane and probably impossible, and that was why I needed help. The ringer suddenly stops and a female voice greets me on the other line.

"Hey Carrie, its Raini," I say, waiting as she chirps a "hi."

"Now, listen, are the guys with you?" I ask, and she replies a "yes," but I can hear the curiosity and twinge of worry now in her voice.

"Great, I need you to meet me at the mall in ten minutes, okay?" I instruct, listening as Carrie agrees, but before I can give her more directions, I hear Laura's footsteps thudding on the stairs.

"Shoot, Laura's coming. I'll text you the rest of the information, but just meet me there!" I whisper, and hang up, seconds before Laura appears next to me. She smiles and throws a light sweater overtop of her blue dress, a very casual motion, as if she's totally fine, but I can see her fingers twitching restlessly, searching for her missing phone.

"Okay, ready to go! How about you?" Laura asks, grabbing her car and house keys. I just nod, busy texting Carrie the details. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Laura shrug at me and walk out the door, and a second later, I follow, simultaneously pressing "SEND."

* * *

"So," I say, leading Laura towards the food court. "I actually have to…uh… go to the… washroom, but you can get your food first. I'll be back soon," I lie badly, hoping Laura doesn't notice. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to and instead, nods and walks over to a hamburger place.

I let out a breath and rush away from the court, and back into the maze of stores. Soon, I see three relatively tall heads leaning outside of a clothing store, and when they see me, their eyes widen and they run over.

"Raini, what's going on?" Calum questions, eyes wide. I cringe, realizing that they must've thought something _really_ big was happening, probably because I made it seem that way.

"Sorry guys, it's nothing horrible. I just wanted to talk about Laura." A sudden silence comes over all of us at the mention of our best friends' name. We all felt guilty for bringing Laura to the concert and blamed ourselves for her losing her phone. We all knew how important it was to her, and how badly she's been coping without it.

"Okay, what is it?" Parker is the first to break the silence, and then they're all staring at me curiously. I take a deep breath, wondering how I was going to word this. I mean, we would all do anything for Laura, but my plan? It was a crazy idea but I know that if I just manipulate their compassion and guilt—only by a tiny bit—they would do it.

"I have this plan to help Laura out of her…funk," I start, realizing that "funk" was a weird but true way to put it. My friends perk up immediately, wanting to help Laura too.

"We have to get her phone back." And just like that, they coil away, thinking of what I have in mind.

"Raini, we can't! How—?" Carrie exclaims, cutting off at the end, probably thinking of duct tape and ropes… well, that was Plan B.

"Yeah," Calum and Parker agree, knowing how my plans usually were, and the fear balanced against their friendship with Laura. Luckily, that was what I was here to do: tip the scale. I spread my arms and get their attention again.

"Guys, just think about it…"

* * *

Laura's POV

I poke around my fries, having lost my appetite after hearing "Loud" blast through the mall speakers. What has happened to me so that I can't even enjoy an R5 song anymore? Disgusted, I drop the plastic fork and look up, suddenly seeing Raini in front of me.

"Hey," I say drily, the song making me have a sudden mood shift. "I might not have a way to check the time anymore, but going to the washroom surely doesn't take that—," I stop my sentence abruptly when I see Calum, Carrie and Parker appear behind Raini. They were all smiling weirdly, like they were hiding something, but at the same time, it looked like they were… hopeful? For what, I didn't know.

"Sorry about that," Raini apologizes, not yet telling me how our other friends had coincidently showed up at the mall. I snap my gaze back up to her. She also had a crooked grin on her lips and the next words that pass them are surprising enough to make me almost fall out of my chair.

"Anyways, guess who's going to New York?"

**Aw, remember when Trish used to do that? I miss the fetus Austin &amp; Ally characters. They're all grown up now and acting differently. They're mature and less goofy…well, except Dez. **

**Please review, follow, and fav, if you want.**

**Until Chapter 5 *waves***


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! So, I haven't updated in more than a month, I know. I hope none of you were majorly disappointed that I made you wait that long. But, I just started my Spring Break, and will a massive amount of time to work on my stories and update this one. This story, actually, should be done soon. It will not be as long as **_**She Doesn't Fall**_**, just if you guys wanted to know.**

**Okay, I won't continue my rambling and prevent you from reading since I've already made you wait for a month.**

**Enjoy!**

"I've already ordered the tickets this morning, but it would've been a lot more difficult without the rest of you guys," Raini explains, gesturing at Calum, Carrie, and Parker.

Raini was just about to explain her "plan" but after my initial shock, I was now shaking my head and slowly getting off my seat. Wasn't it bad enough that I had been rejected once? I can't go up to Ross, see his amazing face, only to end up crying all over again.

"Basically, you; Calum; and I are going to New York tomorrow and attending the concert—," I raise my hands to stop Raini right there.

"No way," my voice shakes, "everything could go wrong! Ross could realize who I am and I'll get thrown out! Besides, I don't even have concert tickets yet." Raini rolls her eyes and gestures to herself and the rest of my friends.

"This is what we're here for. If you'll just quit talking for one second for me to explain." Immediately, I clamp my mouth shut. Raini had a way with words and facial expressions that were very intimidating.

"Okay, as I was saying, the three of us are going to New York. I have a cousin who lives there and is willing to let us stay in her apartment. And no need to worry about the concert tickets because I already ordered them," Raini beams proudly, "and if you're so worried about getting recognized, we can just get you a disguise. We're in the mall right now," she points out. I slump backwards in surrender. Raini sure was good at this. I couldn't find any excuse to use...

"Wait!" I say, digging deep into my brain for something, "How long do you think this is going to take?" Raini considers it for a moment.

"If everything goes according to plan, probably 3 days. But, worst case scenario, maybe a week?" I smile triumphantly, an excuse forming.

"Guys, no way will my parents let me skip school for a week to go do this," I argue, folding my arms. I was confident in the fact that my parents would never agree to this… that is, until I see Raini smirk.

"And that's what Carrie and Parker are going to stay behind and do. They're going to make sure your parents think you're just on some week-long school trip or something. If that doesn't work, they'll throw lies and excuses left and right. It'll be fine." I look over to Carrie and Parker who both have supportive smiles on their faces.

"Yeah, Laura, don't worry, we've got this," Parker says, before he makes a show of fist pumping with Carrie. I can't help but laugh. When it dies down, I _really _think about this, deep and hard. It sounded simple enough: fly to NY, go to the R5 concert, get my phone back, and come home. But then again, I thought that the dare was going to be easy, and look how that turned out? I was hesitant, but if all my friends thought that this would work… I guess that I was in too.

I stand up and nod my head slightly. "Let's do this," I say, but before anyone gets too excited, I raise my hand again.

"I'll do this, but I'm believing that everything will go smoothly? That all I have to do is answer the questions and leave? That Carrie and Parker will take care of everything back here, including the homework I'll be missing? If you guys are positive about this plan…?" Now, every single one of my friends rolls his or her eyes and shouts an exasperated "Yes!" I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding up until now.

"Okay, then, let's go shopping," I say, and Raini is already one step in front of me.

"Calum, why don't you and Parker get snacks and whatever else you think we'll need? Carrie, I'm going to need your help to get Laura some new clothes for a disguise." Everyone nods their heads in agreement and then we part ways.

* * *

"Oo," Carrie squeals from behind a rack in our third or fourth store. By now, I have a mountain of bags filled with all different types of clothes and shoes, but we all agreed that I needed something that would _really_ change my appearance.

"This is perfect!" Carrie steps out and in her hand is a long train of blonde hair. Before I can say anything about it, Carrie has already moved right up to me, and has swiftly placed it on my head.

"Raini, come here," she calls while her fingers are tucking my brown hair under the net. A second later, Raini walks up to us, and she squeals as well.

"Oh my gosh, Laura. You look so good as a blonde!" The two girls lead me up to a wall length mirror and I can't hide the surprise of seeing all of my hair completely transformed into a different colour. Raini was right though. As a blonde, my brown eyes seem lighter and more vibrant and my skin didn't seem as pale next to the light hair colour, opposed to when it contrasted against dark brown.

"We are so getting this," Raini states, snapping me out of my thoughts. I smile at my reflection, feeling confident that I wouldn't be recognized by Ross or anyone else with the wig on. Carefully, I take it off, feel as my brown hair tumbles down my shoulder, and then give the wig to Raini. She leaves to go pay for it while Carrie and I head back to get out bags. I sigh. The more I think about this, the more I feel like it's going to work. Carrie looks over at me, as if she can read my thoughts.

"You can do this Laura," she encourages, "You'll be able to get your phone back." I smile at one of my best friends and lean in to give her a hug. Out of nowhere, Raini appears behind us and it becomes a group hug. When it breaks apart, we all laugh and it feels good to just be happy with the people you care about.

"I have an idea," Raini suddenly gasps. She grabs some of the bags from me, and already I can see what she's thinking from the look in her eyes.

"Let's see if this disguise actually works." We all burst out laughing again and follow Raini to the women's washroom.

* * *

After a couple of minutes, I'm wearing my outfit that I'll be wearing to the R5 concert: a light blue summery dress paired with brown ankle boots, and of course, the blonde wig. Before, for the first concert, I was clad in a tight red dress and dark makeup, but this time, I was going to be light and natural looking. Hopefully, that was good enough.

When I'm done, Raini and Carrie leave first to find the boys and go to the food court. They'll give some excuse as to where I am, and then they'll text me through Carrie's phone, and I'll head out to see if my disguise can fool even two of my best friends.

While I'm waiting for the text to tell me to go, I hop onto the sink counter and dangle my legs, hoping to pass the time. After about ten minutes, I huff out a breath and go onto Carrie's phone to check, yet again, if there was anything. Nope. Instead, I log on to my Twitter account, and scroll through the feed. As expected, almost every magazine and online talk show account was still buzzing about the R5 dilemma, and links popped up everywhere with the headings "Who is this mystery girl?" or "Could you be the one R5 is looking for?" I growl, and my finger hovers over the button to exit out of the app. Clearly, the social networks haven't had much gossip lately, and as soon as something like this pops up, they jump at the chance to blow it out of proportion and make it sound like a game show.

I'm about to press the HOME button when I notice a link that says "Ross Lynch spills all about the Phone Search." I want to exit out, but after a long moment of hesitation, curiosity overcomes me and I press the link, which sends me to a video.

In it, I can see the other members of the band in the background, but the reporter is only focused on Ross. She asks a series of questions, which he answers to, but doesn't sound like he wants to.

_Reporter: So, Ross, I'm assuming you know what I'm about to ask you?_

_Ross: I think so, but ask away._

_Reporter: Okay then, how has your R5 Phone Search been going?_

_Ross: Well, as you probably already know, we've been asking our fans during the Meet &amp; Greets to answer 3 questions in hopes that one of them will prove that the phone is theirs. So far, we've done this at 2 concerts in Miami, but since no one has been right, we're moving on with our tour to New York._

I fight the tears that threaten to spill from my eyes. Listening to Ross talk about this brings back the horrible memories from the concert only a few days ago. I finally decide to leave the page when the reporter asks a question that stops me short.

_Reporter: Has anyone been close to answering all 3 of the questions so far?_

My curiosity peaks again, and I listen, wanting to know if anyone else has gotten the questions right.

_Ross: Actually, out of the hundreds of people who've answered, only one person has gotten 2 out of 3 of them right._

_Reporter: Really, do you know who it is?_

_Ross: No. I met her during the first concert in Miami. She was nice and charming, but I didn't get her name. All I know is that she answered the first 2 questions with extreme confidence and got them right, but unfortunately did not get the password right._

_Reporter: Well, that's too bad. But, I wish you luck with the rest of your search!_

_Ross: Thank you. I hope we find the owner, t—._

I finally find the strength to stop the video and exit the page. The flow of information was overwhelming. There really hasn't been anyone else who answered 2 out of 3 of the questions? After watching the video, I felt another wave of sadness, despite the fact that I had the biggest chance of getting my phone back _and_ Ross called me nice and charming. At any other time, I would've blushed clean down to my roots but at this moment, I was surprisingly enraged. Ross had basically admitted my humiliating moment in front of the world, even if he didn't know it. It was like a slap in the face. I one hundred percent _knew_ that that was my phone but instead of getting it back like I should've, now I have to travel to New York to try again. I bet it was his fault in the first place—.

My eyes widen, the answer was obvious. Ross _had_ made a mistake. I knew it. My password is "Ross Lynch's lips" with a space between each word, a capital on his first and last name, and an apostrophe behind the 'h.' No way had Ross gotten that. I scold myself for making my password so complicated, but at least now I knew what to do. I had to tell him my password in compete detail, no matter how embarrassed I might feel at that moment.

Suddenly, Carrie's phone lights up, and I shriek, startled. I fumble to turn it on and a short message was waiting: _We're ready:) _

I let out a little laugh of hysteria. After all that I had been thinking in my mind, the prank was the last thing I thought of; I almost even forgot about it. Quickly, I grab my bags and walk out of the washroom, my thoughts still racing at the speed of light.

Half way across the mall, I spot the food court and my friends all sitting at a table. The boys' backs were facing me, but Raini and Carrie noticed me as soon as I saw them. I give them a little thumbs up and walk over to their table. When I am basically standing behind Calum and Parker, I silently put my bags on the floor and get my game face on.

"Um, excuse me?" I say in a thick accent, tapping Calum on the shoulder. Everyone immediately looks at me, but whereas the boys have puzzled looks on their faces, the girls are doing everything in their power to stop from laughing.

"Do you know where I can find some…pickles?" I ask, saying the first food I could think of. The boys give each other a weird glance, but answer me, nonetheless.

"Uh, there's a grocery store on the other side of the mall… ma'am," Parker tells me. I try to hide my laugh with a cough, and then ask another question.

"What about some coffee? No milk, no sugar?" Raini calls up behind Calum, trying to sound helpful and not at all suspicious.

"Starbucks is right over there," she points, and gives me a small wink in the process.

"Well, what about some pads? You know that women need—," Calum interrupts me with a gasp and stands up.

"Okay, lady," he says, horrified, "why don't you go look at a Mall Directory Board, or information booth? They can help you _way_ more than we can!" Calum's outburst is so comical that I can't contain my laughter anymore. I double over, gasping for breath, and I can hear Raini and Carrie doing the same thing, with additional snickers directed at the boys.

Once we calm down enough, I move over to sit down at the table, and before the guy's start protesting (since they still haven't caught on yet), I swiftly pull off the wig, exposing my true hair underneath.

The boys' faces are priceless and we burst out laughing again. I laugh until my stomach hurts and tears spring from my eyes. But at least they're happy tears this time, and now that I am sure my disguise works, I just have to focus on my part of the plan. My friends could take care of everything else, but the whole thing would be rendered useless if I messed up my chance with Ross. I had to be brave and take back what was mine.

I _would_ get my phone back in New York.

**So, this is kind of a filler episode, but I enjoyed writing it nonetheless. Especially the guys' reaction to Laura's disguise. **

**I hope you liked this chapter, too, and I will update before April, I promise. If not, you can scream at me in fury. **

**Until next time, which will be soon ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

**Hello! Guess what? There's still a week until April! Yeah, who thought I wouldn't be able to do it? Also, I kinda *cough, cough* *wink, wink* base my update time on the amount of reviews I get. I'm not crazy about it like "5 review for an update in 5 days" or whatever—totally cool if you do that, but this time, I was waiting for my reviews to hit 60 before I updated. Obviously, that happened (thanks, you guys ROCK!), and I promised to update before April, so here we go.**

**Enjoy! **

Ross' POV (Surprised?)

_My fingers fly across the guitar strings in a speed unknown to mankind. The sound that is produced makes my lips stretch into a wide grin, and based on the roaring screams of the crowd, they seem to like it too. I look over at my family as they bob their heads to the beat and join in to create a wild piece of music. I love it. The performing, the music, the rush. I am living the life and wouldn't have it any other way. Our band gets into this new sound for only a couple of moments, though, before the scene shifts. The room becomes darker, the crowd quieter, so quiet that I can clearly hear Rydel behind me as she yells, "Ross, duck!" _

_For a split second, I freeze, registering her sudden words, but after I comprehend, I have no time to do as she said. Instead, I look up and watch as a thin rectangular thing flies towards me. My eyes widen and it hits my head, the force enough to topple me backwards. A part of me is laughing because it wasn't really that hard. I'd get a bruise at most, and yet, I find myself falling to the stage floor as if I was pushed. The voices of the rest of R5 swirl around me but I can't see them and I can't answer back. I suddenly realize that my eyes are closed, and as hard as I try to pry them open, I can't. I just lay there, eyes closed, and it's not long before I drift unconscious…_

"Whoa!" I gasp, quickly sitting upright in the bed. My eyes search around, and I start, realizing that I couldn't see anything. Everything was black and I quickly decide that it must still be night. I let out a breath.

"That was…," I trail off. Sure, I've had many dreams of rocking out on stage before, but this one was new. Thinking back to the dream, I remember the dark object hurtling towards me and recognize it as the phone. The phone that, yet small, could cause so much trouble. I guess that getting hit in the head with it was a good representation of how I was feeling now. I was tired, confused and just wanted to get rid of it. We were in New York now, our first concert in the city later tonight, but I didn't know if we would find the owner here. I mean, she...or he (not likely since the phone case is bejeweled) went to the Miami concert. Why would she be in New York now? I sigh, running my fingers through my tangled locks. In the beginning, we could've just given it to the higher-ups and have them handle this situation, but now, it was too late because this "R5 Phone Search" is in all of the magazines and has been made into a huge deal. We can't just suddenly stop doing it now. What would everyone think? Besides, we _have _to give the phone back to the owner. We don't need it, but she probably does. I wouldn't even imagine someone giving us an IPhone as a gift. It was ridiculous.

For the hundredth time, I remind myself that I had to remain hopeful. _We can do this! _I didn't know how, but I just had a feeling that this phone would be returned so—.

"_There's no gravity, when you're next to me_!" I let out a manly shriek of surprise when a voice starts singing throughout the room. Ripping off my blankets, I jump off me bed just as it continues. "_You always break my fall, like a parachute_…" My heart thuds in my chest, calming down after that mini heart attack. My eyes wander frantically around the room until I spot something that makes my eyes widen: The phone. The one that was the heart of our search, it was buzzing to life. Quickly, I rush over to it laying on the table and peer down at it. Our band picture was still there. Everything was the same, except now, a pop up was on the screen reading "Snooze 5 Minutes." It was an alarm!

"_When you're holding me, so while it's like I can barely breathe…_" I shake my head. At least that was sorted out now. I bet the alarm was also what woke me up in the first place, too. I move my finger to go turn off the alarm when something suddenly stops me short. Without my heart beating so loudly in my ears, I could actually hear the singer of the song. I was speechless.

"_You always break my fall…my fall, like a parachute…_" I suck in a deep breath. The voice was soft and smooth, like a spring breeze. The voice was evidently female, not that I didn't realize it before, and she sounded flawless.

"…_Like a parachute…"_ The song fades out and suddenly, the room seems incredibly quiet. I blink, surprised at how much I _missed_ the music. It was just so gentle and meaningful. And the voice, I would be lying if I said it didn't completely intrigue me. With no hesitation, I walk back to my bed, not having turned off the alarm. I wanted to hear the song again…and again.

I settle into the blankets just as the soft piano fills the room once more and the voice starts singing. I smile slightly as I feel myself drifting to sleep next to the music.

This phone thing just got a lot more mysterious, especially the owner.

* * *

Laura's POV

"The aircraft will be landing in approximately 5 minutes. Please be ready to depart with your bags, and enjoy New York!" When the voice projects throughout the airplane, I look over to Calum and Raini and shake their shoulders, waking them up. I should've also taken a nap because we are going to be busy in New York, but I was just so anxious I couldn't sleep during the entire trip.

Everything is set: We convinced my mom and dad that we were taking a week-long school trip, but at school, Carrie and Parker were going to tell all of our teachers that we were sick, or whatever. I trusted them to keep everything under control at home. Now, I had to focus on what lay ahead: getting my phone back. I had practised, and practised my conversation with Ross in my head and prepared what I was going to say. It would be smooth and quick to the point. I also made sure to pack my whole ensemble of clothes. My disguise was in my suitcase and carrying the wig made me feel like Hannah Montana, but that's not the point. The point is that with the different appearance, I won't be recognized, though I doubt he remembers me to begin with. Everything was more or less ready. And I was ready, physically, at least. Physically, I feel pumped and like I could a marathon, but emotionally, my insides were churning, panic trying to fight its way through my body, but I pushed it down. There were still things to do. Like Raini read my mind, she clearly fights the sleep away and rubs her eyes before giving us a quick run-down of the next part of her plan.

"Okay. We've made it to New York, check. Now, my cousin is waiting for us in the airport, and after we make it to her house, we need to get ready for the concert. We have to leave a couple hours earlier because we don't know where this venue is, and the Meet &amp; Greet is _before_ the concert this time. Got it?" I blink, processing all the information. It's not like I didn't already know it, but hearing Raini say it out loud makes it so much more real. _I'm in New York! I'm going to my second R5 concert! I'm going to get my phone back…_

"Got it," I say firmly, mentally kicking my doubt into the back of my mind. Suddenly, Calum stands up and stretches. Then he moves out into the aisle to grab our bags. During our conversation, I was too engrossed to realize that the plane had stopped moving. Now though, I follow Calum's lead and rise from my seat to loosen my tensed up muscles from the long ride and go grab my bag. In a couple of short minutes, Calum, Raini and I have everything and we walk to the plane doors. As soon as I step foot into the narrow tunnel, a wave of cold air hits me and I shiver. _Wow, New York is cold_. But, the only thing that comes out of my mouth is, "We're in New York!" The unexpected bubble of excitement overwhelms me and I laugh at the realization that I was in another state, far away from home. My friends laugh along with me, earning us weird stares, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

After we all get over our general excitement (me longer than the others), we do the whole time consuming process of navigating through the airport, getting our luggage, and then we make our way to the doors leading to the public area of the building. As soon as we pass through the double doors, a voice immediately calls, "Hey, Raini!" I look over to the direction that the voice came from and see a young looking woman, maybe one or two years older than us, waving her arms and smiling our way. Beside me, Raini squeals.

"Teresa!" She rushes up to the girl and pulls her into a hug. Calum and I look at each other and follow suit. When we get over to them, Raini has already let go of Teresa and they are chatting excitedly.

"…so glad to see you again, girl!" Teresa says. Now up close, I had a better view of her: Long, straight black hair, striking brown eyes, and near flawless skin. She was a little taller than me, but shorter than Calum, maybe 5"6, and was clad in a simple red dress. No matter her outfit, though, anyone could see that she was beautiful. Even more so when she spotted us and her light pink lips stretched into a wider smile, brightening her face even more.

"Oh, you guys must be Laura and Calum! Raini has told me so much about you!" Teresa takes us off guard when she comes up and pulls me and Calum into a tight hug. I laugh and hug back, liking this girl already.

"Hi, nice to meet you," I say once we break apart. Calum smiles. "Yeah, and thanks for letting us stay in your home." Teresa laughs lightly and waves her hand.

"No problem. I'd do anything for my little cousin over here," she says while nudging Raini. My best friend pouts and glares playfully.

"I'm only younger by 2 years, women!"

"I wasn't talking about your height," Teresa confesses, causing all of us to laugh. After it dies down, Teresa clasps her hands together.

"Okay, as much as I'd love to stay here and chat, it'd be much more comfortable at my house. Plus, according to Raini, you guys have to get ready for a concert, right?" At our nods she says, "Well then, let's go!"

With bright smiles and a bucket load of hope and uncertainty, we follow Teresa out of the airport, and see New York for the first time.

**The gang's in New York! I'm excited to see what happens next. Before, I already had these six chapters written up, but I have been slacking so now I have to start writing the next chapter. Any suggestions? You wanna see Laura and Parker end up together instead?... I'm curious to see how many of you actually read that part. **

**So, when should the next update be? Or I'll see how many reviews I get. How about we aim for 70? Thanks in advance, xo.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Hello my lovely readers! Believe it or not, it's been almost two weeks, but I don't usually update this soon. Although, recently, you guys have been flattering me with your reviews—honestly unbelievable, thank you all **_**so**_** much—and after a couple strongly asking me to update, I decided to do just that. Here is the result!**

**Enjoy!**

"Guys…" I wring my hands together, suddenly nervous. Raini, Calum and I were about to leave Teresa's apartment to head to the concert, and my inner panic that I had been forcing down the entire flight had finally bursted out.

I was pacing around the front entrance, already in my outfit: knee-length blue dress, with a sweater overtop, brown ankle boots and my brown hair now obscured by the blonde wig. It was supposed to make me unrecognizable to R5, but what if that didn't work? What if they didn't let me answer the three questions because I already tried once? On the other hand, _when_ I got my phone back, wouldn't there be press all over the story of who the mystery girl is? Did that mean I had to wear my hair blonde all the time now to keep people from realizing who I really am? More questions were swirling around in my head, giving me a headache. I was still pacing around, but now Calum and Raini were standing in front of me. Raini grabs me shoulders, forcing me to halt.

"Laura, you're fine," Raini soothed. "You know the plan, you're completely disguised, and you _will_ get your phone back, alright?" Listening to Raini gently reassure me did help, and I took a deep breath, nodding.

"Okay then," Calum suddenly pipes up. "I hate to ruin the moment, but if we don't leave now, we might actually miss the Meet &amp; Greet." My eyes land on a clock hanging on the wall and see that it was half past 5 already. The Meet &amp; Greet starts at 6. We had originally decided to have an hour head start in case we got lost, but that's not happening anymore.

"Alright…" I take a couple deep breaths, steeling myself for tonight. _I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready. _Like Raini said, I knew the plan from beginning to end, I was well disguised_, _and apart from the sudden panic attack, I was feeling confident enough.

"Let's go."

* * *

The venue looms in front of the three of us: a large building illuminated by multi-coloured spotlights and crowded with hundreds of people. I look at Raini and Calum, kind of like a last minute pep talk: _Love you guys. Thanks for doing this for me. _We silently communicate for a moment before joining the crowd. As soon as we step in the huge twisting line, we can no longer hear each other over all the screams and animated chatter. Instead, we stand silently and are left to our own thoughts.

I think about everything that has led up to this: the game of Truth or Dare all those years ago, my first R5 concert in Miami, and all the regret I felt after the concert for losing my phone and not creating a great memory like I had wanted. I remember that on that night, my only worries were the dare and not embarrassing myself in front of R5, but nothing turned out like I had expected, did it? I had also promised myself that one day, I would go back to a show and not have anything to worry about at all. Maybe just my limbs sore from dancing—nothing else. I wondered if I would fulfill that promise tonight. But I better not get my hopes up. I really don't want to deal with that huge disappointment again. I don't think I can bear another déjà vu moment…

"Laura!" Raini screams over the crowd, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turn to her and see her lips moving. Even though we were standing right by each other, I had to strain my ears to catch her next words: "…starting to let people in!"

My head snaps up to see the line begin to shuffle up. Against my will, I feel a small burst of excitement crawl up my veins. I mean, even if this was mostly business, I still couldn't help the quiet squeal that came from the part of me from before all this drama happened.

Slowly, as if to taunt me, the line crawls forward and all we can do is move up along with everyone else, when all I want to do is run—forward or away is still undecided. Subtly, I wipe my palms against the skirt of my dress, nerves spiking up again. _Breathe, breathe, breathe. _Finally, we make it through the doors and into the cool, air conditioned hall. I silently continue to walk, giving myself mental encouragement. _I can do this. No problem. Everything is fine. _Then, I scold myself. I can't believe this! I am so paranoid, it feels unhealthy.

We follow the group down the hall towards a pair of doors. There stood two guards who were ushering people in groups at a time. So lost in my thoughts, I jump when someone touches my arm.

"Sorry," Raini apologizes, pulling me out of the line at the same time. At my confused look, she explains, "We think it'd be better if we were the last ones—more privacy, you know?" I nod. That did make sense. I could say that we didn't want anyone overhearing, but my suppressed motive was having a clear getaway in case things turned out bad.

"Laura, stop thinking like that!" Oops. I direct a sheepish smile to Raini, who had heard my thoughts spoken out loud. Obviously, Raini didn't think I would listen to her, but she let it go nonetheless.

Calum was waiting at the very end of the line, an usher just walking away from him. When we join the line beside him, he informs us that since we were the last group, we could essentially head in at our own pace.

So, Calum, Raini and I spend the next long period of time talking, shuffling forward and occasionally giving words of encouragement (mostly directed at me) until _finally_, we find ourselves being the last three people in the hall, save for the two guards at the doors.

We have our tickets scanned and walk in through the set of doors. Immediately, déjà vu slaps me in the face, making me wide-eyed as I look at the setting before me. Different time, and different state, but everything here was still exactly the same. The large R5 poster hung as a back drop on the wall, and in front of it sat five chairs. Forcing my eyes up, I hold back a squeal as I see R5 sitting there, smiling expectedly at us. After the initial glance at the band, I then look only at Ross, comparing him with my image of him from only a few days ago.

He was still stunningly attractive with his disheveled blonde hair, light eyes and easy going smile stretched across his pink lips—but wait. With a more detailed glance, you could see just how much this phone situation has taken a toll on his, which makes me incredibly guilty. His soft hair was sticking up in a way that made it seem like he had run his fingers through it…_many_ times, his lips were pulled up but didn't reach his eyes, and his eyes—what they held surprised me. I expected disappointment and tiredness, and I was right, but there was also a glimmer of hope and excitement gleaming in those orbs, as if something amazing had happened.

A forceful nudge snaps me out of my thoughts and I blush. Here I was standing in front of my favourite band, and I decide to zone out? Great…

Raini and Calum walk first, heading towards Riker, Rocky, Rydel and Ratliff sitting on either side of Ross, clearly indicating where I should go. Slowly but boldly, I make my way up to him, watching his amused smile on his face, and catching the way his eyes linger someplace other than my face. I blush, glad his attention was currently elsewhere, and the next thing I know, I'm standing right in front of him.

"Hey," Ross greets me, his eyes twinkling from the bulbs above us. Learning from my past mistake, I reach out suddenly and give him a brief hug, something that I regret not doing last time.

"Hi," I breathe out after I pull away. Ross looked taken off guard, which I found highly amusing, but a second later, he asks, "so, would you like a picture?"

I grin. "I would love too—," I start before I remember a very important factor, "—but I lost my phone…," I trail off when I notice Ross' face. It wasn't the oh-great-another-fan-who-says-the-phone-is-hers look that I had expected. Instead, his features were scrunched up, as if he was focusing really hard on something. He trails his gaze slowly down my face, expression still thoughtful, and all of a sudden, he questions me.

"Have we met before? You seem very familiar."

His words knock the breath out of me, and all I can do is stare.

**Whoa! Who saw that coming? A bunch of you probably did...**

**Anyway, for chapter 6, I got almost 20 reviews and it was honestly amazing. I don't expect that** **many reviews, but when it happens, it makes me very happy, and motivates me to write faster, knowing how many of you take your time to tell me your thoughts:)**

**Thanks in advance to all of you who review! You guys rock!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Hello fantastic readers. It's been almost two weeks, and I'm back with another chapter. I wish I could've updated sooner, but my homework is so stupid right now and most importantly, as you probably know, Austin &amp; Ally officially ended on April 23, and I've honestly been a mess. I even cried at school. I just can't explain it. I've been attached to shows and books and characters before but I've never felt so emotional. I guess 4 years is a long time to get attached. But, I'm happy for the cast. They're moving on with their futures and I wish them luck. If you want to mourn with me, though, follow me on Instagram auslly_ _fangirl :)**

**Okay, without further ado, enjoy this very emotional rollercoaster**

"Have we met before? You seem very familiar."

Immediately, my body tenses up and I stare at Ross, unmoving. _What do I do? What do I say?_ Raini and Calum were oblivious to what was happening, so they were no help. I guess I could tell the truth? The truth was the best solution, right? But what if they kick me out for already answering? Then again, if I lied, I had no idea what might happen. One thing I did know, though, was that if I didn't say something soon, I would blow my already suspicious cover.

Then, Ross speaks _again._

Ross' POV

There was something strangely familiar about this girl. She was blatantly gorgeous with her kind brown eyes, shy smile and gentle figure, but there was just…_something _else about her. An answer started to form in my head while I listened to her talk…her voice—and then she abruptly stopped.

I was focusing on the puzzle pieces forming in my mind, but suddenly, they vanish and I was left with nothing again. My face scrunches up in concentration, trying to remember…

Frustrated, I look up at her, and my answer comes rushing back.

"Wait, you're that girl from the Miami show," I exclaim, recalling that concert a few days ago: her walking up to me, excited, but also nervous, the way she seemed so determined in getting her phone back, the crestfallen look she had when she didn't get the answer right, and finally, my last memory of her—teary eyed and being pulled away by her friends.

A part of me had no idea why I remembered her so vividly out of the thousands of fans we met every day, but the other part of me knew exactly why: apart from her unforgettable beauty, she was also charming, bold, and a fiery ball of energy. It was refreshing.

And now she's standing before me. I had a million questions, like "_What are you doing in New York?" _or "_Why'd you change your hair colour?" _though that question wasn't any of my business. I just secretly preferred her brunette hair. It looked nicer on her.

However, the question that came out of my mouth was, "What's your name?" I had wondered that last time, but she had been whisked out before she could answer, or I could know if she was going to answer. Now, she was standing there, shocked. She still hadn't answered any of my questions, and I was starting to get worried.

"Hey," I lightly brush her shoulder, and she immediately snaps out of it, and jumps back.

"What?" she asks, quite breathlessly. Her cheeks are flushed and I have the urge to tease her to make her blush even more. It's just so cute.

"What's your name?" I repeat, more curious the longer this conversation goes on. Especially when she seems to ponder whether to tell me or not. I thought it would've been a no-brainer to have a celebrity know who you are. After a long hesitation, she answers me.

"I'm Laura."

_Finally!_ I can't help the smile that stretches across my face when I learn her name.

"It's nice to meet you Laura," I say, inwardly grinning at the way her name rolls off my tongue. Oh God, I sounded attached, and I didn't know her at all.

"Um, you too," she blushes, clearly not expecting this casual conversation.

"So, what are you doing here, in New York?" I continue our talk, partly to see her cheeks flame up again, but a part of me suddenly hoped that she came to talk to me again.

"Um…" she trails off, her eyes travelling lower. For a second, _I_ almost blush, before I snap out of it. _Dude, chill. You don't even know her. _Then, I am majorly glad I didn't speak my thoughts out loud when I remember the object she had great interest in last time.

"Oh," I say, trying to hide my unexplainable disappointment. "You came for the phone?" I didn't even need an answer. All of the fans who I have met these past few days have all wanted the same thing. This phone was now deemed special. Apparently, since we have had it, and it has travelled in our bus, and in my pockets, it was now a piece of band merch. Sure, we had taken a bunch of pictures with it, but other than that, there was nothing about it that was so important to fight for…well, in my opinion anyways.

Laura nodded rapidly, her expression the same as before: confident and bold. I could almost say that it was her phone with that determined attitude, but I remembered how it went last time. Still, I had to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Okay then, what is the wallpaper?" She doesn't miss a beat.

"It's a picture of your band—," I am about to move on to the next question, but she continues. "_From _your 2014 concert in Toronto" (**A/N: I went to that concert!)** I take in her words, and sure enough, I remember that concert, and it was the same picture. How could she have known that, unless…

"What is the song on pause right now?" I question further, but I can't help the strong beat of my pulse as she answers yet another right.

"Your band's 2013 cover of 'Girls' by The 1975 _and____then _Smile and Pass Me By _after that." _My eyes widen in disbelief as I press the SKIP button, and listen as both of those songs hum from the phone. This was unbelievable. I look up at Laura, and her face is shining with excitement and triumph.

"Okay, then. What is the password?" I didn't even know if there was a point to ask anymore. She just blew my mind. There was not a single other person who answered two out of three questions right, let alone with so much detail. Though, I still had to finish the questions.

I remember last time when Laura flushed as she stuttered her password, but this time, her head was held high and she spoke clearly.

"Ross Lynch's lips," she told me, no blush to be found. Instead, _I_ was the one who broke our gaze and clumsily typed the password in.

With the confidence she had, I expected trumpets and confetti when the phone unlocked—but it _didn't_. The little screen flashed and asked for me to retry. Immediately, I knew what was coming. I had experienced it already. _Oh no_ I think. I didn't know why, but it felt wrong to break the news to Laura, especially since she's heard it before. But I couldn't just give her the phone since she technically didn't answer all three questions right.

"I'm sorry…," I say, slowly looking up. My voice held a strong authority that ended the conversation. I didn't want to continue this any longer and make Laura even more upset. But, she seems to have frozen as soon as those words passed my mouth. Her eyes were only focused on the phone with a sort of angry expression, and before I can react, she screams.

Laura's POV

I honestly didn't care if I alerted every person in the building with my scream. I had just had enough. I was frustrated beyond compare. I was on a roll, and I could tell that Ross himself was ready to give me _my_ phone back. Then, the stupid password. It honestly wasn't my fault. It was his! I was about to describe the exact way he should've typed it in, with the spaces, capital letters and everything, but he typed it in before I could.

I glare at my phone, seeing red, thoughts flying through my head fast enough to give me a headache.

And then I did the worse thing possible: I lunged. I had no idea what came over me. Maybe it was my sadness, anger and desperation finally reaching its breaking point. Maybe it was a way to hide my embarrassment for freaking out again, by drawing attention elsewhere…and it worked. Oh, how it worked so well.

"Ugh!" I cry out as I feel myself being lifted up. I didn't need to turn around to know that one of the security guards that had been standing by the entrance had picked me up.

"No!" I struggle against his tight hold, eyes flitting everywhere: to Raini and Calum's shocked expressions, to the bands surprisingly neutral one—they dealt with screaming fans very often—and lastly, to Ross, and the phone he was holding. Immediately, I regretted it. His face mirrored the one from the last time: sad, pained, and disappointed. I felt the same way, as if I could feel what he was feeling, as if we connected.

But, he didn't try to stop the security guard. I deserved it. I went out of line. _Goddamnit. Damnit. Damnit! _A surge of tears fall down my face, blurring my vision as I am lifted away.

I no longer struggle as the guard walks me all the way out of the building and places me outside. When I hear the metal doors clang shut, a sob escapes my throat and I all but collapse. My knees buckle beneath me and I collide with the cold pavement. A wave of pain washes over me as my head comes in contact with the ground, but I welcome it. It distracts me from my thoughts. I didn't want to think about anything. Not how I blew my chance _again_. Not how I was probably going to get a restricting order placed on me. Not how my body was going numb with the chilly New York weather.

It seems like hours later when the door flies open and footsteps rush towards me. Warm and familiar arms pick me up and Raini's voice fills my ears.

"Oh my God, Laura! I'm so sorry!" My friends' envelope me in a hug and I cry into their arms. My head was still buzzing, so I could not reflect on what just happened. I couldn't afford to now. If all my mistakes came rushing back now, I would probably pass out.

"I'm sorry guys," I choke out to Raini and Calum. I appreciated their huge effort to help me, but I couldn't do it. I felt horrible for dragging them out here to not succeed in the end.

"Hey, it's okay," Calum reassures.

"Yeah!" Raini adds, "The nights still young. We can't give up yet." I struggle free from their grasps and stand up, albeit with a slight waver.

"Guys, it's done! What else can we possibly do?" I refuse to raise my hopes up again. I can't and won't handle it.

"Laura, listen! We've come way too far to give up now. We have a plan and—." I cut my Latina friend off with my hand.

"No! Stop! I can't do this! My heart is already bruised enough." That was the utmost truth. My favourite band has now watched me humiliate myself twice, and my all-time crush on Ross is like a blow to the stomach every time I think about it. He was probably sick of my dramatic and reckless actions. I would never live this day down.

With one last sad look at the venue, I spin on my heels and rush away down the streets of New York.

**Wow. Who honestly saw that? If you've read my other stories, I think you can tell that I like to take almost happy endings and twist them around. So, yeah, this story is not an exception. Sorry to those who thought this story was finally reaching its happy ending. But, you're not far off. There's only—dare I say it—a couple chapters left *gasp* **

**Until then, I hope to hear from you in review form. Oh, and guess what? I got over 20 reviews last chapter! Thank you all so much! You all continue to amaze me.**

**See ya.**

**#Goodbyeaustinandally**

**#Thankyouaustinandally**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Hello readers! So, it's been a month since I've last updated—oops? A bunch of factors went into why I didn't update though. Of course there was school work and extracurricular activities. Plus, I had a lack of motivation. I had received more than 20 reviews for Chapter 6 and 7, but for the last chapter, I'd only gotten 8. I'm not implying that I only update with a substantial amount of reviews, but it just surprised me and I wondered whether anyone was reading this story anymore. However, I am still extremely grateful for the 100 plus reviews for this story. You guys amaze me. **

**And, if there truly are fewer readers, to those who are still reading this, THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST CHAPTERS. I've already planned it and there should be about one or two more chapters before this adventure is over. I haven't forgotten about the dare and that shall appear soon, too.**

**Now, enjoy!**

A couple hours later, I find myself grasping a cold cup of tea, staring blankly at the colourful walls. The popular café was crowded with people chattering excitedly, but in no way was I matching their enthusiasm. Maybe it was because I had just humiliated myself in front of my idols, or the fact that I was alone in New York as I purposely skipped the R5 concert, or maybe I was just tired from running across the city for an hour before I finally stopped in this cozy establishment. Either way, I was feeling deflated, depressed…and physically sore. I flex my feet in my high heeled boots, cursing at the fact that they weren't meant for sprinting through town. Sighing, I decide to just slip them off, revelling in the pleasure of having my feet free from the constricting shoes. Unfortunately, my relief is short-lived as a familiar voice calls out to me, accompanied by a more feminine one soon after. I hesitantly look up, already knowing who it is.

"Laura!" Raini and Calum rush towards me, relief clear in their faces. A part of me felt guilty for rushing off and leaving them to look for me, but at that moment, all I wanted was an escape. I guess it was over now.

"Thank goodness we found you," Calum exclaimed, plopping down into the chair next to mine. Raini quickly follows, but after the general buzz of excitement that they had found me, it becomes quiet again. A thick tension fills the air. It's not exactly angry or uncomfortable, but it's pressing against my skin, urging me to say something.

"Look, guys," I start, finally releasing my hands from my cup. "I'm sorry for running away. I kind of lost it back there." I look down, trying hard to fight the memories away. I couldn't afford to think about that right now, or ever again. Instead, I gesture for a barista to come and I order three new drinks. We wait in silence as she delivers our drinks, and take automatic sips, prolonging the moment. Eventually, Raini slams down her cup first, and she places her palms on the table.

"We forgive you, Laur. _But, _can you please listen to us? We know that you feel horrible and that's partly our faults, but the Laura we know wouldn't give up that easily. So what if you embarrassed yourself? They probably see that all the time—."

"Yes, but—," I try to make her understand how I felt. How completely mortified I was, and how R5 would probably forget about it soon, but that memory would forever be branded into my mind. Instead, Raini interrupts my interruption.

"No buts. Whatever happened back there, and back at the Miami concert, you learned from them right? Now, it's time to put that knowledge to use. We know that you will probably not agree to this, but hear it first: We wait for the concert to end, sneak in and steal your phone back. We still have our tickets, so we can easily get back in. Then, we waltz out with the crowd and no one will ever know." Raini finishes with a tone filled with so much confidence that I almost believe we can do this. Almost. It was such a huge risk, and after tonight's events, why on earth did I want to do something reckless like that?

_To live your life?_ My brain supplies. _What's a life worth living if you don't take risks? _

My subconscious has a point. Up until now, I've been holding my thoughts back, my memories back. I didn't want to cross that line. I didn't want to take a chance, even if it was a good one. I've already made it to _New York_! A place I've never expected to be, so that already proves that anything is possible right? Besides, I had taken a chance to come here and go to the R5 concert. This is only a simple matter of actually going in. I think of this as a small detour in the plan, but it'll still lead to the same goal: getting my phone back.

It takes me a long while to decide, thoughts swirling through my head with a hurricane-like force. I knew that if I didn't follow through with this new plan, I would regret it later, and if this was going to be my last concert in New York, the least I could do was actually go, right?

"Alright," I finally agree, my voice firm when everything else was anything but. I look directly at Raini and Calum. They gave each other a knowing glance before beaming at me.

"Took you a while, but we knew you'd do it," Raini stated with a smirk. I just rolled my eyes, but a feeling of love washed over me. I truly had the greatest friends.

"So," I started, "what do we do first?" I said this while slipping my killer shoes back on, albeit with slight hesitation. They catch the pout in my expression and Calum lifts a plastic bag.

"First, we change. We need to be unnoticeable, and honestly, those shoes will probably cut off all the circulation from your feet," Calum eyes the tight boots wearily, and I couldn't agree more. I practically jump in my seat when Calum pulls out my white Converse. It seems like the two went back to Teresa's house for some essentials. After my shoes came some more warm clothes suitable for this New York weather. I grab them thankfully and go change, coming out later in some jeans and a cozy sweater. I no longer had to impress anyone and I could've honestly worn a potato sack if it kept me warm. Raini and Calum were dressed the same rather than in the fashionable clothing from earlier, and they were waiting for me.

"You should probably take off the wig too," Calum suggests, and I waste no time ripping it off, not caring if anyone noticed. My soft hair flows down my back and I realize that the wig was actually quite tight as my head buzzes with the blood rushing up.

When we are all ready, we pay for our drinks and head back towards the venue without instruction. We had to make it back before the show ended and the place was empty.

After a lengthy walk, which makes me realize how far I had _actually_ run, we arrive in front of the large building once again. I take a shuddery breath as the full reality of this situation hits me. _I'm back! _I think wondrously. This night was just full of surprises.

"Whoa!" my arms shoot out suddenly to block my friends from walking further when I see something important: a mass of large men were surrounding the premises, about 3 at every entrance. Even if we had tickets, I was sure to get recognized, especially when I see the guy who had thrown me out. He was right next to the main entrance, his stance intimidating even from here.

"Shoot," Raini mutters, worrying her lip. Her eyes scan the building for a second before meeting our curious gazes.

"Who's up for a little more adventure?" she says, tone turning mischievous. I look to where her gaze had previously been, and my heart jumps into my throat. Behind a couple large trees was an unlatched window. It seemed wide enough that we could all squeeze through it—not that we should!

"No way!" I protest, but when I turn back to my friends, they had already taken off, leaving me no choice but to follow them, although very hesitantly and cautious. I had to constantly remind myself of why I was doing this to stop myself from chickening out and running away...again.

I reach the window just as my friends both easily slip through. I stare at them wide-eyed, amazed at their bravery. Of course, they were risking this for my sake, so as much as I didn't want to, I had to suck it up.

Taking one last look behind me and satisfied that no one was looking this way, I dive through the window, landing harshly on the floor.

"God," I mutter, pushing myself to my feet. Calum was closing the window, and finished as I stood up. Looking around, the place was spacious, but I couldn't tell where we were. There were a couple couches littered with clothing and food wrappers, and tables stacked with other snacks and refreshments. It was a strange combination. Lined against the wall were a couple guitars, a drum set and other instruments. So, this was a music room, closet and an overall messy place?

Calum snapped his fingers beside me. "It's the Backstage Area where the band hangs out!"

I take in the room in a whole different light, awestruck. But, I don't have long to admire it because Raini—swift as ever—grabs our attention and commands, "Search the room for Laura's phone!" We quickly split up and ransack the place, searching in pockets and bags lying around the room. One part of me felt guilty for the mess we were leaving in our wake, but I couldn't bring myself to mind when I had Ross' backpack in my arms. Greedily, I pull it open and scan the contents. There were guitar picks, books, his camera, but no phone. I sigh and drop the pack, dejected at the moment to think about taking anything as a…souvenir (**Like you wouldn't in her situation?**).

The three of us tear the room apart for what seems like hours, with no luck. Then, Calum shrieks and darts out of the back room he was in. His face was lit up with excitement and he rushes to us.

"Guys, guess what I found?" Hope surges through me and I stare at Calum expectedly. Instead of my phone however, he presents a large stick of fluffy blue cotton candy. My eyes bore into the candy and then into Calum's eyes. It's Raini who speaks first.

"Wow, a cotton candy machine?" her voice is laced with disbelief at Calum's childishness. He is always young at heart.

"So, how about you stay here and enjoy your candy and finish searching while Laura and I go to other places?" she suggests sweetly, already dragging me towards the door. Calum didn't seem to mind and we walked out the door, shaking our heads and rolling our eyes.

Once outside, it was unexpectedly loud. Drum beats echoed through the hall and the floor buzzed softly. Faintly, I could make out the sound of guitars, too. Then, I recognized the sound as it hit the familiar chorus.

"Hey, let's not be alone tonight. Hey, let's not be alone tonight…," I hum along, enjoying the live music, even if I couldn't see the band playing. Automatically, I walk towards the sound, wanting to hear more.

"Laura!" Raini hisses behind me. I turn, expecting her to want to go the other way or scold me for losing my focus, but she's pointing at something along the wall. In a second, I make it out: R5's dressing room.

And it was unlocked—practically an invitation to go in.

So we did.

**If you didn't read the Author's Note at the beginning, it said that this is probably the third or second last chapter of the story. It's sad to see this adventure end, but I'm ready to tackle a new one. I already have some in the works…**

**Now, I would **_**really**_** like to know what you think, especially for the last chapter? Do you like this story?**

**And, to that anonymous guest reviewer who started their review with "Dude," thank you. It was oddly amusing to me. I hope this chapter is what you were waiting for. **

**Thanks.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Wow, we hit double digits! **

**In other news, hey guys! How've you been the last couple of weeks? Or shall we just skip the small talk and get to the story?**

**One other thing, THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! Can you believe it? I'll have my farewell Author's Note at the bottom.**

**Enjoy!**

The dressing room was fancier than I expected. It had a plush blue carpet, a flat screen, and a wall-length glass door which lead to a balcony outside. The view from the window was breathtaking: a clear blue sky with a streak of pink and orange as the sun started to set. However, I didn't spare another glance at the sky—my eyes were flitting everywhere, trying to take everything in.

To say I was awestruck would be the understatement of the century. I was practically floating on air, eyes wide in shock. After all, it was every fans dream to go backstage and see their idols' dressing room. I just wish that my dream would have come true in more…legal way. Even now, I was deathly afraid that a guard had seen Calum, Raini and I crawl through a window and was on his way to arrest us.

I shove that thought out of my mind quickly. I had to focus right now.

Without instruction, Raini and I search the room, looking in every nook and cranny. I greedily take in everything as I move around, from Rydel's jewellery collection to the bands electrical equipment.

The room was larger than we had originally thought, with an adjoining bathroom and closet. So, it took us longer than expected to finish rampaging the place. Raini enters the bathroom while I go to the closet, the last two places to look. By now, I felt my hope diminishing, but I refused to give up. I open the closet and a whirlwind of scent invades my nose. It varied from flowers to vanilla and other spices. But, there was this one smell, and I didn't know how, but I knew it belonged to Ross. Trailing my fingers lightly along the racks of clothes, my fingers brush a pair of worn pants and I freeze. I didn't know if it was intuition or something else, but I knew, I just _knew_ the clothing belonged to Ross.

I hold my breath as I pull the pants off the rack, heart beating wildly. Already, I could feel what was going to happen, I was just waiting for my brain to catch up. As if in a trance, I flip the pants upside down and there it is. My phone falls out of the back pocket and lands on the carpet with a thud. Without a second of hesitation, I dive towards the ground and snatch up my phone, cradling it. I didn't just feel relieved, I felt so accomplished, like that feeling when you want something so freaking bad and you _finally_ get it.

I let out the breath I had been holding since opening the closet and it came out like a giddy laugh. I felt like crying and laughing and screaming at the same time. Mission accomplished!

Righting the phone, I quickly type in the password and feel a wave of satisfaction as it unlocks. Then, I remember Raini and how she's probably still looking in the bathroom. With an impish grin, I type in her number and call her. A second later, her phone rings from in the bathroom but she doesn't answer. She doesn't need to.

"Oh my God, Laura!" Raini squeals as she bursts into the room. I stand up and we rush together for a hug.

"Thank you so much," I gush to Raini. If it weren't for her and my other friends, I'd still be moping around at home.

We stay there for a while, basking in the giddy feeling of accomplishment, but then, I hear it.

Or, more accurately, I _don't _hear it. Gone were the loud drum beats and the electrifying sounds of the guitars. The music had stopped for a while now, but I had been too focused on my phone to notice. But, the silence is deafening now and a wave of fear spreads through my body.

"We better go," I whisper, suddenly afraid to break the silence. Raini agrees, but before we can take a step, noise erupts from outside the door. We hear loud footsteps, only getting louder, and then laughing. I shoot Raini a terrified look, and she's mirroring me. We both knew who were outside the door and what would happen when it opened. After a split second, I turn and my body moves before my brain recognizes what I'm doing. My hand fumbles with the lock on the balcony door and I push it open with gusto. A cold breeze blows in but it doesn't faze me. I rush through the door with Raini following behind. Just as I heard the dressing room door crack open, I swing the balcony door shut.

"Hide," I hiss, ducking down behind a plant. By now, the sun had set, covering the city in darkness, but we were still horribly visible. A wrong move could quickly reveal us.

I focus on controlling my rapid heartbeat, sure that it would give us away. It was crazy how quickly my mood changed. I felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. _At least I have my phone back_, I think, pressing my hand to my pocket to make sure it was still there. It was. All we had to worry about now was getting out unnoticed. Fortunately, luck seemed to be on our side.

"That was great, guys!" I hear a muffled voice exclaim through the glass. It sounded like Riker. A murmur of cheers followed. Then, Rydel spoke and she was our saving grace.

"Hey, let's go out and eat tonight! It's our last night in New York after all." The whole band murmured their agreements and I heard the door open. I glance at Raini behind my plant and she shares my relieved look. As soon as the coast was clear, we'd find Calum and get out of here.

We wait a safe couple of minutes after the door clicks shut before we get up and go back into the dressing room. There's no more looking around or prolonging the moment. We rush across the room and I grab the door handle.

"Wait, I need to grab the phone," a hauntingly familiar voice calls. I gasp. He sounded like he was right outside the door! Not a moment later, the door flies open, pushing me back. I stumble to the floor and get the wind knocked out of me. When I look up, Ross is towering over me, and his confused look would've made me laugh if I wasn't so scared right now.

"Laura?" he asks, almost in a daze. Behind him, the door clicks shut.

* * *

Ross' POV

What. The. Fuck.

I was about to head out with my family for dinner when I suddenly remembered something.

"Wait," I call to them, already walking back to the dressing room. "I need to grab the phone." It seemed important that I not let it out of my sight. I could've blabbed on and on about how we couldn't lose it or whatever, but honestly, I was attached to it. I didn't want anything to happen to it, because with the phone, I would know who the owner was. And I desperately wanted to figure it out. Every night, I heard her sweet voice on the alarm and my curiosity only grew bigger. I could feel that the mystery would unravel itself soon. It was a gut feeling.

My hand twists the door knob, pushing it open. I'm surprised when a gasp is heard from inside and even more surprised when I step in the room to see two ladies—one standing frozen and another sprawled on the floor. Then, I focus more closely and I recognize the girl on the floor.

"Laura?" I wonder, brows pulling together in confusion. What was going on? I had so many questions. But, like before, only the least important one tumbles out of my mouth. It's like I had no filter when it came to her.

"Why's your hair brown again?" I trail my gaze down her body openly to see that she'd changed clothes as well. But, she still looked amazing. I glance up and Laura is blushing.

"Um…I uh…," she stutters, looking down. When our gazes break, I am pulled back into reality and something suddenly occurs to me.

"You're here looking for the phone, aren't you?" I can't hide the disappointment when I realize once again that she wasn't here for the reason that I'd thought.

I watch as her hand unconsciously goes to her back pocket and shock courses through me.

"You took it? You were actually going to steal it?" I demand, my voice coming out uncharacteristically harsher than I'd meant for it to. I suddenly feel bad when Laura's eyes shine with tears. She scrambles to her feet and backs away.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, pulling the phone out. "But, it _is _my phone! Just let me prove it." Her voice is a soft trembling, and I suddenly recognize it from somewhere else.

"Sing," I blurt out before I can stop myself. Laura's doe eyes widen at my subject change, but I couldn't focus on anything else. Surprisingly, she obeys.

"_There's no gravity, when you're next to me, you always break my fall, like a parachute,_" her voice is strong and clear now, a complete contrast to before. My eyes widen and my jaw pops open.

"_When you're holding me, so while it's like I can barely breathe, you always break my fall, my fall, like a parachute…," _her singing abruptly stops and she looks confused and uncertain. Automatically, I take a step forward, awestruck.

"It's you," I breathe. Laura gapes at me and I clarify.

"I heard your voice on your alarm," I watch as she blushes uncontrollably, "you have a beautiful voice…" Laura's head snaps up and she takes a cautious step forward.

"So, you believe that this phone is mine?" she asks. At my nod, she breathes a sigh of relief and beams at me. "Thank you." We stare at each other for a long minute before someone clears their throat. Laura jumps and I spin around to see the other girl who I had completely forgotten about.

"Raini," Laura acknowledges. She walks towards us and a mischievous smile is playing on her lips.

"Well, I'm glad that's all cleared up. But, there's still one last thing…" she trails off suggestively as she reaches into her purse and pulls out a folded note. Beside me, Laura pales.

"Ross Lynch," she greets formally, "two years ago, Laura received a note that she was supposed to give to you if you guys ever met. For obvious reasons, that couldn't happen in Miami, but now that we're here…," Raini passed the note to Laura with a wink and backs away. I look at the brunette beside me and almost laugh at her expression. It was bordering between angry and embarrassed, making her face scrunch up in a cute pout.

"Fine," Laura finally sighs. She passes me the note and her eyes immediately glance at the floor, shy again. My eyebrow arches up as I unfold the paper, and when I read it, it's my turn to blush.

"Um, do you know what this paper says?" I ask Laura. After she shakes her head, I flip it over for her to read. I watch as her mouth pop open and she blushes madly.

"Raini," Laura hisses quietly, glaring at her friend in embarrassment. The friend in question smiles innocently.

"What? We actually changed the note today. This is pretty clever, eh?" When Laura doesn't so much as smile, Raini backs away.

"Hey," I interject, touching her arm lightly. I wait for her to look at me before I smirk. "If you want it, I'll give it." Laura gapes at me in shock and I think it's the most adorable thing ever.

I have to admit, the note was very clever. On it was "**I want password.**" Immediately after reading it, I remembered how Laura's password was "Ross Lynch's Lips." Now, all I could think about was her lips. I had been wondering about the mystery girl for so long, and now that I know its Laura, I couldn't deny the fact that I wanted to kiss her.

Laura still looks doubtful, so I take a step closer. Then another, until I'm inches away from her. In my peripheral vision, I see Raini leave the dressing room, but I'm mainly focused on the girl in front of me. Slowly, I raise my hand to caress her cheek, loving the way her cheeks flame. Is it possible for me to love something about her already, when this was only our third conversation? I believe so.

"Laura, you're beautiful and sweet and fiery and I really like you," I confess suddenly. I didn't care if I had just met her. I knew how I felt. Laura freezes under my hand, and I'm suddenly terrified that she doesn't feel like I do, like I'm being burned and electrified at the same time, but then she smiles. Her lips stretch into a wide grin and I'm left breathless.

"You know," she changes the subject suddenly, "I'm really glad I had lost my phone." I grin at her confession and reach around her waist, pulling her to me. I observe how her eyes sparkle and her lips curve into a beautiful smile.

"Yeah, me too," I say, before I give her what she and I both want.

**And… Cut! Scene! Fin! All that other jazz. This story is finished. **

**To be honest, I'm hesitant about the ending. i don't think it has that finality an ending should... What do you think? I don't think this story requires an epilogue, but it's up to you guys whether you want one. **

**Now, deleted scenes and author's thoughts:**

***I was honestly considering ending the story with some kind of cheesy reference to the story title, My Stupid Phone, but I feel like I already have one too many cheesy things in all my stories…so that ending didn't make the cut.**

***Originally, they were going to sneak into a hotel. There, it would've made more sense for the balcony-hide-out-thing, but it felt too complicated.**

***I don't know why I decided to cut Calum out of the story last chapter. Now that I reread it, I'm like "What do I have against Calum?" I honestly don't know why it played out like that.**

***The dare. Ah! I have to admit, this story totally veered off course. It was supposed to be centered on the dare, but slowly, I made it an adventure story focused on Laura's phone. So, towards the end, I didn't feel like incorporating the dare anymore, but some people were asking for it so I hope it met your expectations.**

***The connection between the dare and Laura's password was a last minute change. I didn't plan it that way but it worked out. Originally, I was going to do something like "Kiss me?" or "Go out with me?" but clearly, I wasn't thinking straight while writing this chapter, so it ended up all crazy. But, it is pretty clever, in my opinion.**

**IF YOU MADE IT PAST THE LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE, REVIEW THE WORD "Password." Let's see how many people actually did…probably not many, lol. **

**Anyway, thanks so much for reading and supporting this story. I love your reviews and can't wait to hear your opinions on the ending.**

**Fav me for alerts when I post my new story, and I will also post an update on this story when it comes out.**

**Thanks. Over and out.**


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